orway was cleared, and Craig
pulled the girl through.

"Back to the left!" she gasped. "Across the bridge! Quick--Shabako
comes!"

Even as they ran, they heard the Pharaoh's furious bawling as he
struggled up to the door of the Temple, which he had not been able to
reach for the rolling tide of fear-stricken people around him. He was
shouting:

"After them--after them! They cross the bridge! Follow them, everyone!
I will take the other way up and trap them! Hurry!"

He turned to the right, panting up the corridor in the direction from
which he had first approached the Temple. And slowly, as they
collected their dazed wits, the swarm of warriors and priests and
common people followed the fleeing pair toward the bridge.

* * * * *

Wes Craig was tired, but the shouting pursuit lent strength to his
near-exhausted limbs. Spears snaked after Taia and him from the
warriors close behind; but, once across the dangerous bridge, he
disregarded them long enough to hack its supports through and see it
fade into the blackness beneath. "Get across now, damn you!" he
yelled, and ran again after the girl's leading figure.

All now depended on their speed in reaching the top of the extinct
volcano, and of that speed he was none too confident. He had gone
through two strength-sapping fights in the last hour; his nerves were
ragged from the constant strain, and his breath came in racking sobs.
He wished passionately he had a loaded gun--even his smashed vial of
Kundrenaline. The fluid would have put marvelous new life in his weary
limbs.

"Hurry, Taia!" he gasped: "we must beat them! Shabako goes some other way
to head us off! If only we can get to my bird-that-flies-in-the-air!"

Once again they stumbled up the difficult passage, fighting for speed
with tired bodies, bodies which every twist and obstacle tried sorely.
Without the girl, Wes could never have made it: she led him unerringly
through the branching, gloomily-lit corridors, up flights of rickety
steps, her knowledge of several short-cuts aiding measurably the speed
of their progress. Tired as he was, admiration for the mighty fire of
courage that burned in Taia's frail figure, and drove it forward when
all physical strength was gone, never left him. For she had been
through as much as he--and even more!...

* * * * *

They did not know it then, but the Pharaoh had made good time on the
other side. As t